In the oceans and notably on soft sea bottoms, the lack of hard substrates is often a limiting factor which prevents fishes and sessile organisms such as algae and shellfish to settle and develop even though the waters are fertile having sufficient light, minerals and plankton for their nurture. Moreover it has been demonstrated in the Applicant's previous works, that any immersed structure, natural or artificial, not only attracts the environmental biomass but is also a development factor for the biomass.
Hence, immersed structures, either natural, artificial, or a combination of both, have a great potential for the biomass enhancement of the oceans. The art of immersing, positioning and mooring artificial substrates, support-surfaces or structures, as well as the art of implanting algae fields and shellfish reefs, are now highly desireable matters for the restoration and development of biomass factors.
Heretofore artificial reefs have been utilized for sea enhancement purpose. These artificial reefs are typically large and heavy structures prefabricated on land. They are made out of concrete, rocks, iron, chains, plastics and other materials, immersed and settled into the sea at high costs. These artificial reefs aim to attract fish and give them new habitats.
Unlike artificial reefs, the artificial substrates, which will be described herein, are light and inexpensive structures with specific support-surfaces onto which natural structures of algae and shellfish affix and develop. These artificial substrates usually weigh hundreds or thousands of times less than artificial reefs. These artificial structures are easily handled and inexpensive and can affix large natural structures and such as giant algae and shellfish clusters which weigh hundreds or thousands of times more than the artificial structure itself. For a small artificial structure moored in the water, one obtains a great biomass productivity and sometimes a great wave energy absorption.
In his United States patent application Ser. No. 023,188, filed Mar. 3, 1987, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,774 Antonius Streichenberger describes such light and inexpensive artificial substrates with their implanting process and devices, for use on soft bottom in order to settle in open sea large algae and shellfish fields.
In 1979, and independent of any biomass consideration, the hydrodynamic effect and wave energy absorption of tethered buoys, floating near the water surface, have been described by some researchers, notably Richard Seymour University of California.
In 1984, and without considering artificial substrates, the wave energy absorption and tide deflection of natural algae fields have been described by some researchers, notably G.A. Jackson, University of California.
However, no one ever described the desireable characteristics of artificial substrates and associated sessile organisms for operating as biomass factors and/or wave energy absorbers.